


Studies in Hydrodynamics

by Stayawhile



Category: Eureka
Genre: F/M, M/M, Other, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-23
Updated: 2011-06-09
Packaged: 2017-10-19 17:50:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/203547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stayawhile/pseuds/Stayawhile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Allison can't make up her mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Which Allison Blake Considers Her Dilemma

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place late in Season 2.

_“What the hell is wrong with you?”_  

Allison finished applying her lipstick, and turned away from the carefully made-up face in the mirror. She had been asking herself that question for weeks now, maybe months, and was still without an answer.

In her professional life, she had always been confident, focused and decisive. The Department of Defense hadn’t offered her the job of liaison to Eureka simply because of her MD or her two PhDs—plenty of people held academic credentials that matched or surpassed hers. The deciding factor had been her talent for analyzing complex problems and making decisions rapidly and competently. Well, that, and her ability to work with what the DoD called “human assets.”   

But a particular complex problem, involving two of the town’s most valuable “human assets,” had her utterly unable to make a choice and stick with it. She knew it was unfair to both men, knew she was stringing them along and frustrating them and making it hard for them to work together.  

She wanted Jack Carter. He was strong and sweet and funny, reliable and genuinely kind, a good father, a good man. Besides that, she was just the slightest bit obsessed with that dream, the one where he had walked into Café Diem naked. She had thought the uniform looked good on him, but what lay underneath, the wide shoulders, the flat muscles of his abdomen and what lay below them, was an image she returned to, on certain wakeful nights. More than once, she had imagined her hands on her own body were his as she fondled herself to release, and dreamed it again after she had relaxed into slumber. In so many ways, he was the man she had been hoping to meet ever since her marriage had collapsed.   

Even so, she couldn’t let go of Nathan Stark. The brilliant, incisive mind, the banter, the confident certainty expressed in a deep baritone were indisputably attractive, while the long, lean physique and eloquent face held an erotic charge that her body had never been able to resist. She’d fallen in love after he had let her see beyond the self-assured exterior to the man within, whose vast reserves of tenderness and vulnerability were so well hidden. With Kevin he had seen past the barriers to the brilliant strange son she loved so deeply, and responded with a gentleness that was as fiercely protective as her own.  

She and Nathan had been so passionate, once, and she couldn’t escape the memory of his body under and over and beside hers, his hands and mouth turning her molten and explosive, the love burning in his green eyes as they rocked together. It had been so good, and so awful, the arguments and the screaming and the silences as intense as the passion between them, and she could not go through it again, and she wanted it all back.  

Nathan Stark and Jack Carter.   
Jack Carter and Nathan Stark.  

In front of her, the two of them argued and traded insults, playing an ongoing game of one-upmanship as they vied for her attention, and even as she laughed at their bickering, it drove her wild with annoyance, not to mention sexual frustration.   

 _I have to stop letting them distract me,_ she thought, checking her PDA for messages. Her teleconference with the Joint Chiefs had been moved to the afternoon, Fargo had sent yet another list of reasons his security clearance needed to be upgraded, and Dr. Simons wanted an appointment to discuss renewal of his grant. It was a Tuesday morning, and GD needed focused, confident, decisive Dr. Allison Blake at her desk. She picked up her briefcase and headed out the door, hoping for a few quiet hours before she had to see either Jack or Nathan. 


	2. In Which Allison Overhears a Conversation

It had been a very, very long day, and Allison was carrying her high heels as she made her way to GD’s underground garage, wanting nothing more than to get home and pour herself a glass of wine. When she heard the mingled tones of Nathan and Jack around the next turn of the corridor, she paused. It sounded like an argument, and she hoped they wouldn’t find some excuse to drag her into it.  

“Don’t do that here. Just, don’t.” Exasperated Jack.  

“Don’t do what?” Nathan, low and teasing.  

“Kiss me, goddamnit!” Allison’s eyes widened, and her body stiffened. Did he just say… “There is no kissing at GD, got it?”  

“Then why did you kiss me back?” She knew that insinuating tone, underlaid with sex, and he was using it with Jack? “Fine, let’s go somewhere else,” Nathan continued.  

Jack let out a small sound, almost a moan. “We really can’t keep—”  

Nathan cut him off. “But we can, and we do, and it’s always so damned good. You know how much I want you.”   

A sigh. “All right, you win. Zoe’s sleeping over at Pilar’s tonight. I can come over after she leaves.” If she wasn’t mistaken, that sounded like another kiss.     
“We both win.” Spoken tenderly. “I’ll see you later, Jack.”  

Allison entered her override code into the nearest door and slipped inside. She wanted a chance to think about what she had heard before she spoke to either of them. She leaned against the other side of the door, the EXIT sign overhead shedding a dim red light in the darkened office.   

Jack Carter and Nathan Stark.  Kissing.

And apparently doing more than that.  

She pictured the two of them together, Nathan pressing Jack against the wall, insistent, Jack’s head angled upward to meet Nathan’s lips with his own.  

 _That's hot,_ she thought. _Disturbingly hot._

By the time she got home, she was nearly half an hour late for Kevin’s bedtime ritual. Selfishly, she hoped Janis, his nanny, hadn’t started yet, although there was always a chance he’d be upset by even a slight delay. She appreciated Janis’ willingness to stay late when she had to work, but she could not help being envious too.  

Janis met her at the door. “He didn’t want to stop playing, so I figured I would wait; he seems to shift gears better for you than for me.” Kevin’s feelings were always hidden deep, so even this small indication of preference felt like a declaration of love. The floor was strewn with bits of his current favorite toy. It reminded her of Tinker toys, but the pieces represented individual elements that could be linked into models of molecules.   

He looked up when she entered the room, a minimal acknowledgement, and then returned to what he was doing. Slowly, she coaxed him up from the floor, and through the sequence of events that would carry him into relaxation and sleep. His latest obsession was organic chemistry and molecular biology, and so, after a shower lasting precisely ten minutes, flannel pajamas and the bed turned down just so, and the light dimmed very slowly over the course of another ten minutes, she sang him to sleep with that old Tom Lehrer song that listed all the elements. Some nights, he even spoke to her, between the song and sleep, a few cryptic words that she analyzed and worried over for days and weeks afterward.  

She sat beside him, holding his hand. It was a surprise when he turned his head to look at her.  

“Three is good, mom.” She knew better than to reply, and waited patiently in case there was more. “Like water. Two plus one makes a strong bond.” He closed his eyes and the moment was over, leaving her once again wondering if she would ever understand his strange, brilliant mind.  

She tiptoed down the stairs. “It’s all H20 tonight,” Janis said, and sure enough, the floor was covered with identical models, a single oxygen atom linked with two hydrogen.

Allison smiled. “Thanks, Janis.” The young woman picked up her book bag and slipped out the kitchen door as Allison opened the refrigerator and pulled out her reserve bottle of Pinot Grigio.   

It wasn’t until her second glass that could turn her mind from Kevin, and begin to sort through her feelings about what she had overheard. The two men who ostensibly wanted her were sleeping with each other. Had she unwittingly played the beard, cover for their affair? That was a humiliating thought. But she knew Jack’s desire for her had been genuine; a certain incident involving an electric fence had made that clear. She had known Nathan was bisexual when she married him, and she hadn’t minded. He had pledged faithfulness, and she had learned to trust his promises.   

Of course, she had handed him the divorce papers and released him from that commitment, and there were no promises between herself and Jack. She wondered what would happen if she chose one of them, now. Would they tell her? Would they end their relationship? Would they turn her down?   

The revelation didn’t make her situation any easier. Worse, her mind wouldn’t stop visualizing the two of them, entwined, naked, straining and sweaty and groaning with pleasure, Jack’s strong hands in Nathan’s curls, Nathan painting a line of small kisses down Jack’s body. They were in Nathan’s bed right now, together, and she envied them both as she drained her wineglass and climbed the stairs to her own empty bed.  

Clearly, they were trying to drive her insane. 


	3. In Which Allison Does Her Job

“Show me what you’ve got.”   

Dr. Philip Clarkson had sent her an excited memo announcing a breakthrough on his newest project, and Allison could only hope it was as groundbreaking as Philip thought. It was for the DoD, and she needed some solid results for Mansfield, to get him off her back for a while.   

Clarkson clicked a tab on his computer in a satisfied way, and Allison saw her own face. “Okay, so…” Her own voice echoed from a nearby speaker as she realized she was watching herself in the lab.  

“I’ve combined several technologies to build a better bug,” Dr. Clarkson explained. “See if you can find it.” Allison looked at the several windows on the screen, calculating vectors from the camera angles. One was immediately to her left, parallel to her head, but the wall was blank and empty. She ran her hand slowly across it, but was unable to perceive any bumps that could indicate where something might have been planted. Clarkson handed her an enhanced bug-sweeping device, but her scans came away clear.

“Tell me about the tech.” As he explained, Allison’s satisfaction grew. Nano-drills embedded the unit in any surface; a complex holographic scan/projection generator perfectly reproduced not only the pattern and texture of that surface, but the molecular pattern of the material. With a one-way EM filter preventing detection by electronic means, the only way to find it would be to take apart the wall at precisely the spot where it was hidden.   

“We had hit the limits of miniaturization, so I took a different route. By making a larger unit, I incorporated several newer modes of concealment, each of which reinforces the other. Incidentally, this also allows for better picture and sound quality.” Dr. Clarkson described how the device could be programmed for activation by a particular voice or image, so analysts could focus attention on a specific target, and how to direct the encrypted data-stream to a particular computer.   

By the time he finished, Clarkson was nearly bouncing on his toes, and his Fu Manchu mustache framed a wide grin. Allison smiled back. Every scientist at Global lived in fear of losing funding, or worse, being redacted, and Clarkson’s work had been criticized for a lack of originality. The new bug was a beautifully designed integration of several technologies, and if field tests went well, every branch of U.S. intelligence would be clamoring for them.   

“Congratulations, this is an excellent design. You have my authorization to start field tests. How many of these do you have?”   

“I wanted to do some testing of my own, so I’ve got about a dozen prototypes.” He opened a drawer and took one out. It was a flat, innocuous-looking disk, about the diameter of a quarter, but four times as thick. She held out her hand, and he placed it in her palm.   

“I’m going to mention this in my next report to General Mansfield. If it goes into production, you’ll be getting the standard bonus.” She closed her fingers around it. “Can I keep this? I’d like to familarize myself before I talk to the General.”  

“Of course, Dr. Blake, no problem, I was thinking I wanted some beta testers who were unfamiliar with the specs, demonstrate ease of use, give me feedback on the user interface—” Clarkson cut himself off. “Listen to me, I’m babbling. I’m just really pleased right now.”   

She tucked the disc into her pocket and extended her hand. “You should be pleased, this is good work.” After an enthusiastic handshake, she left the room smiling. There were too many days when she had to play the bad guy, make unpopular decisions, tell people their pet projects would have to be cancelled. It was nice, for once, to be the bearer of good news. It was even nicer to have some good news to bring to her next call with Mansfield.  

As she headed down the corridor, Jack emerged from a lab ahead of her. At the tap of her heels on the tiled floor, he turned to her with a wide smile.

“Allison! Good to see you!”   Same old flirty, friendly Jack, she thought. What the hell is going on in his head? “What brings you to GD today, Carter?” she replied.  

“Paperwork, mostly. I need to sign off on some permits for experiments outside the building, and I need to have a fight with your ex,” he said.

She looked at him, startled. “I mean, I know we’re going to be arguing over the nucleotonic air-freshener thingy, Dr. Gilbert’s project, because I am not letting that thing get out of containment till I know a lot more about it.”   

Allison thought a moment, identifying Dr. Gilbert and figuring out which of her projects had been translated into Carter-speak.

“Just because it involves nuclear energy doesn’t make it dangerous, Carter,” she parried.  

“Look, Henry agrees with me that we need to tighten our standards about radioactive stuff, and, hey, why am I arguing this with you? I’ll save it for Stark.”

He smiled at her, that warm smile that tempted her so much. “So, have you got time for lunch? You, me, Café Diem? I hear Vincent has double espresso brownies today.”   

She shook her head. “Sorry, Carter, I’ll take a rain check. I have a meeting in twenty minutes, and I wouldn’t want to keep you from your sparring match with Nathan.” She hoped he didn’t notice the edge in her voice.  

“Okay, another day then. Wish me luck!” Another guileless smile, and Carter turned left toward the stairs to Nathan’s office, while Allison crossed the lobby. As she reached the other side, she turned her head to see Jack and Nathan together through the wide glass wall, Nathan lounging casually against his desk while Jack stood stiffly, his arms crossed against his chest.   

“Unbelievable,” she muttered, continuing toward her office. 


	4. In Which Allison Makes a Plan

By the time Allison reached her office she was beyond irritation, and well into full-on mad. She closed the door and set security to the highest level, knowing she needed to get her head on straight before she fired someone who really didn’t deserve it.   

“I hate mind games,” she said out loud. “It was bad enough getting that crap from Nathan, but I never expected it from Carter!” Frankly, that was one of the things that had made Jack so appealing to her: he was so straightforward. Nathan was a master manipulator, so the fact that he was hiding something from her hadn’t been such a shock.   

It had to be a mind game, didn’t it? She didn’t know. Did they even think about her when they were alone together? Did they…  

She remembered an evening with Nathan, back when they first started dating. It had been great to have someone she could talk to about her research, but that night, she had been bitching about the politics and game playing that kept getting in the way of her work.  

“Allie,” he had said, smiling. “There’s only one thing you can do when someone’s screwing with your head like that.” She remembered the sparkle in his green eyes, full of mischief. “Screw ‘em back.” He had leaned forward to whisper in her ear, his voice dark and breathy. “I can help.”  

The rest of the evening had been devoted to plotting over a bottle of wine, resulting in a convoluted plan that would leave Ally holding all the cards, and drop her manipulative colleague neatly into the very deep hole he had been digging for her. The devious way Nathan’s mind worked on her behalf had been slightly disturbing, but deeply erotic as well, and the night had ended in some memorable sex.  

His voice returned to her now, and she let out a low laugh. “Screw ‘em back.” Oh yes indeed.   

In the meantime, there was work to be done, and having Nathan as a colleague had given her plenty of practice at separating the personal from the professional. She sat down, took a deep, cleansing breath, and logged into her desktop. As promised, Dr. Clarkson had sent detailed files on his surveillance device, as well as a copy of the control software, and she needed to go over them and prep for her briefing with General Mansfield. As she reviewed the data, she became more and more impressed. The bug’s AI elements allowed for a high level of remote control from a single computer, and the multiple levels of security on the transmitter made it nearly unhackable. With this technology, an intelligence agent could truly be the proverbial “fly on the wall.”   

Allison looked past the computer monitor to the “picture window” across the room. In reality, her office was deep underground, and the window was a large high-definition vidscreen that could display a variety of “views.” Allison usually kept it set to a feed from a camera on top of GD, facing the lake and mountains in the distance, but it was also useful for monitoring experiments in various labs, or other locations.  

 _Such as, for example, Nathan’s bedroom._

It was no use trying to focus on work after that. Instead, she spent the next hour telling herself that it was a very, very bad, highly illegal and completely unethical idea. Using classified GD tech for personal reasons was wrong. Invasion of privacy, also wrong. Spying on her ex and his lover was very wrong.

Thinking it would be incredibly hot to watch the two of them together? Okay, maybe not totally wrong, but definitely kinky.  

Eventually, she sighed, her mind made up. It was wrong, and she was going to do it anyways. She needed to understand what was really going on between Nathan and Jack. 


	5. In Which Allison Plays

The next morning, Allison chose her outfit carefully. The red suit with the tight pencil skirt and the short jacket went well with the black silk top; its scooped neck revealed an ever-so-slightly unprofessional amount of cleavage. Shiny black pumps with very high heels and bright red lipstick completed the look. She smirked at her image in the mirror.  

Nathan’s back was to the door when she entered his office. She pitched her voice low and sexy. “Hello, Nathan.” He turned and smiled at her, admiration clear in his eyes.   

She sauntered toward him. “Brought you a pile of paperwork, I’m afraid.” She dropped the file on his desk, standing just a little too close. “But I’ve also got some news I think you’ll like.”   

He gestured. “Have a seat.” Allison pulled up a chair, and leaning slightly forward, told him she had convinced the Navy brass to give him patent credit on the latest iteration of AI-enhanced radar. She had gotten word from the Pentagon a few days earlier, but hadn’t had a chance to bring it up before the whole kissing incident drove it from her mind. Now she handed it to him like a prize, and watched the smug smile cross his face. 

“Allie, that’s great! I didn’t think they’d go for it, especially after I told off Admiral Dingbat.” She laughed in response.  

“I did have to figure out a way around Admiral Dinsworth, but you and your team deserved the credit.” Nathan leaned forward. Allison was amused to see his glance flicker down to her breasts before his eyes met hers.  

“We did, but we wouldn’t have gotten it without you. Thanks.” The green eyes held an all-too-familiar intensity. She wondered if it affected Carter the same way it did her.  

She prolonged the moment, looking into his eyes, then leaned back and let a slow smile cross her face. “Well, we always did make a good team, Nathan.”   

He smiled in response. “That we did.”   

She could feel his eyes on her when she turned to leave, putting a little extra swing into her hips.  

 _Take that, Nathan Stark._

As she crossed the lobby, Allison pulled out her cell phone and dialed the Sherriff’s office.   

“Carter here.”  

“Blake here,” she purred. “Good morning, Carter.”  His businesslike tone turned a little flirty.

“Allison! Please tell me you’re not calling about a crisis at GD.”  

“Don’t worry, Jack. So far nothing has leaked, exploded, mutated, or been accidentally released into the water supply. But it’s still early in the day.” 

“Hey, don’t jinx it! So what’s up?”  

“Actually, I’m calling about that rain check I gave you. Are you free for lunch today? Me, you, Café Diem?”  

“Sure, that’d be great.” They arranged to meet at noon. Allison turned and looked back at Nathan’s office, satisfied to see that he was watching her. She gave him a cheerful little wave, and smiled to herself.    

There was a good crowd in Café Diem when Allison strolled in, slightly ahead of schedule. Even better, one of the window tables had just opened up. She couldn’t be sure that Nathan would see them at Café Diem, but she would do her best to make sure he heard about it.  

Besides, it had always been fun flirting with Jack, seeing that smile aimed at her. Their conversation was casual, mostly about the upcoming Pythagoras Picnic, another of Vince’s excuses for a townwide party. Jack was enthusiastic about Greek food, but he almost choked on his hamburger when she informed him that togas were mandatory attire.

Throughout the meal, Allison kept her tone light and suggestive, and halfway through, she slipped off a heel and slid her stockinged foot up Jack’s leg. His startled look was followed by a wide grin. He really was too much fun, she thought. By the time Vince cleared their plates and brought coffee, she had almost forgotten her master plan.   

“Well, well. Good afternoon, Sheriff. Allison.” Nathan’s tall frame loomed over the table. “Nice to see some of us have time for a long lunch.”   

“Yeah, thanks for not blowing anything up today. Hope it’s not putting you behind schedule for your next world-ending disaster,” Carter shot back.   

“Care to join us, Nathan?” Allison asked, smiling disingenuously up at her ex.  

“Sorry, no time today,” he scowled. “Allie, I just wanted to let you know, I got an advance copy of the latest autism study at NIH. There are some interesting results, we should get together and talk about them.”  Her smile softened. His concern for Kevin, at least, was genuine.

“Thanks, Nathan, that’d be great.”   The two men nodded to each other, stiffly, and Nathan left. Allison struggled not to laugh. This was too easy.  

Later that afternoon, she checked Nathan’s whereabouts with Fargo, and watched the jeep pull away from the Sheriff’s office, lights flashing. Quietly, Allison slipped into the back door of Nathan’s house, grateful that the key she’d thought was lost had turned up in an old suit jacket. It didn’t take more than a few minutes to climb the stairs to the master bedroom and install the bug high on the wall over the bed, her feelings a mixture of nostalgia, annoyance and anticipation.


	6. In Which Allison Watches

     

She didn’t have to wait long.   

Shortly after eleven that night, Allison’s PDA received the coded signal. She had set the bug to activate at the sound of Carter’s voice. Quickly, she set aside the pile of budget analyses she had sworn to finish that night, for once glad that she was still at the office. Privacy locks engaged, she directed the bug’s signal to her picture window.  

She gasped as the two men entered the room. They were locked in a fierce kiss, their body language aggressive even as they fumbled at one another’s clothes.   

“Goddamn it, Carter!” Nathan’s voice was hoarse and angry.   

“Shut up, Nathan,” Jack said, in a dark, almost threatening tone. He cut off Nathan’s reply with another kiss, wrestling him onto the bed, his fingers tangling in the other man’s dark curls. Allison watched, fascinated, as they grappled, trying to pin each other down. Nathan shoved Jack’s tee shirt up his torso and over his head, Jack tore it off as Nathan’s teeth scraped across his chest. Another messy kiss, and Jack’s hands groped at Nathan’s waist, pushing the tailored pants over his hips. It was wild and urgent, a battle for dominance and control, and by the time both men were naked, Allison’s hand had slipped between her own legs, almost without her realizing it. Their bodies clashed, groans and grunts signaling furious arousal, primal and very male. She caught glimpses of their hard cocks sliding against each other, and their faces, excited and intent. Nathan licked Jack’s shoulder, then bit into it, and Jack let out a grunt and flipped them over, straddling Nathan, both of the other man’s wrists in his grasp, held firmly over his head. They paused, breathing hard.  

“Fuck you, Nathan Stark!” Jack’s voice was hard.  

“Fuck me, Jack Carter,” Nathan whispered hoarsely.  Allison let out a moan as Jack moved up Nathan’s body, scrabbling in the drawer of the night table. He pushed Nathan onto his side, hands moving low and _oh my god this camera angle I can’t see_ but it was all too clear from their faces and the movement of their bodies what was happening, Jack groping behind Nathan, then grasping his hips, pushing, slowly and then faster, their sweat-slick bodies spooned together, Nathan pushing back as Jack’s hand reached around to stroke Nathan’s cock in rhythm with their thrusting, the movements harder and faster, breath rasping until Jack’s face contorted and he let out a long loud groan, Nathan twisting under him and coming just seconds later in an agonized grunt, Allison peaking barely a moment after and falling back in her desk chair, eyes closed, panting.  

It was minute or two before Allison came back to where she was and managed to focus on the screen. Jack and Nathan lay side by side now, not touching, as their ragged breaths slowed.  

Jack was the first to speak. “What the hell are we doing here?”  

“I don’t know about you,” came Nathan’s lazy drawl, “but I’m recovering from a massive orgasm and trying to remember how to breathe.”  

“You know what I—”  

“Yeah, Jack.” Nathan cut him off. “I know.”  

A pause. Nathan’s eyes were closed, and Jack was staring at the ceiling. Finally he spoke. "You were jealous today.”  

Nathan sighed. “You were playing footsie under the table. Of course I was jealous.”   

Jack crossed his arms over his chest. “Whatever happened to, ‘it’s Allison’s choice, may the best man win?’ ”  

“It is her choice.” Nathan turned toward Jack, propping himself up on one elbow, and Allison’s eyes drank in the long familiar curve from his shoulder to his ass. “But I can’t help it, Jack. I’m still in love with her.”  

She sucked in her breath as Jack replied, “Yeah, well, I’m jealous too. I’m jealous of every day you were married to her, every minute you ever spent with her.” He paused. “We have to stop doing this.”  

Nathan nodded. “Yeah, I know. The problem is that I’m a selfish son-of-a-bitch. I want her back, but I can’t stop wanting you too.” His hand reached out to stroke Jack’s cheek and neck, coming to rest on the other man’s chest. Allison was transfixed as Jack’s hand rose to meet it.  

“The problem is that I have no goddamn willpower anymore. Every time we do this, I go home and I swear it’s never going to happen again, and then I find myself back here. I’m in love with your ex-wife and I’m fucking you and it’s killing me, Nathan.”   

“I’m sorry.” Nathan’s baritone was soft. Jack turned toward him with a sigh, and their kiss this time was tender, slow and sweet and somehow sad.   

“We are so fucked up,” he murmured.  

“We are that,” came the husky reply.      

 

Allison reached out and hit her keyboard, cutting off the feed. She knew she had just witnessed something far more intimate than their frantic, impassioned sex. She leaned forward, resting her head against the cool surface of the desk, suddenly ashamed of her spying. Whatever this was, it wasn’t a mind game. They were as confused and tangled as she was, waiting for her to choose, and her indecision was as much a burden and struggle for them as it was for her.   

Sleep came slowly to Allison that night, but when it did, she dreamed of the ocean. She was on a beach, one with white sand and palm trees and vivid blue water, and she plunged into the surf and began to swim. When she turned back to the shore, Nathan and Jack were splashing toward her, laughing and smiling, hand in hand. The sun gleamed on their wet bodies and sparkled in their hair, and when they reached her, their arms around her were warm. They waded toward the beach, where Kevin and Zoe were building a sand castle together. Kevin looked up, his face serious as always, and said, “Three plus two makes five, mom. Those are both prime numbers.” And then he smiled at her. 


	7. In Which Allison Travels

“Dr. Blake, I am very impressed. If Clarkson’s device works as well as you say, it will significantly impact our intelligence capabilities.”  

“Thank you, General Mansfield.” Allison replied to the face on her monitor, repressing the urge to tell him that “impact” was not a verb.  

“In fact, I want both of you here in Washington for a demo, as soon as possible. The Asian summit meeting is in three days, and while I can’t tell you why, I’d like to show it to a few people before then. Fly out this afternoon, I’ll set things up on this end.”   

Her smile tightened. “At your service, General. I’ll send our flight details to your admin officer as soon as I have them.”   

The next few hours were spent rescheduling meetings and packing. She reserved an hour to spend with Kevin before she left, hoping her absence wouldn’t disturb him too much. There was no time to think until she and Dr. Clarkson were seated side by side in a private jet to D.C.  

She sank back into the upholstery, and her thoughts once again drifted to her dilemma. Maybe a few days out of town would help her figure things out. The image of the two men, lying naked and spent beside each other in Nathan’s bed, was at once erotic and melancholy. A narrow space had separated them, after their passionate joining, and for an instant she pictured herself there, held close by both of them, as in her dream.   

An echo in her head.

“Three is good, mom.”  

Her eyes flew open.   What if it wasn’t a dilemma?

 

  ****  

Three days later, Allison returned to Eureka, tired but satisfied, and slept well for the first time in nearly a week. Clarkson’s bug had performed as well for the Secret Service and the CIA as it had in her office, and Global Dynamics was once again in the Pentagon’s favor.   

Early the next morning, she cornered Nathan in his office to share the good news in person. “Best of all, Mansfield assured me that next year’s budget proposal is almost guaranteed to be approved,” she finished, enjoying his broad smile.   

“I take back everything I ever said about Clarkson. That’s great, Allie.” He leaned back in his desk chair. “You know I’m all about the pure research, but it’s techie toys for soldier boys that make it possible.”  

“True.” She smiled back. It had always been fun to make Nathan happy; it brought out a gleeful, boyish energy in him. “We should celebrate. Want to come by for a drink tonight? Say, nine-thirty or so, after Kevin’s asleep?”  

His grin got broader. “I’d love that.”   

Even three days worth of accumulated paperwork on her desk couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. For once, there were no crises to deal with, and she arrived home in time for dinner with Kevin. Janis stayed for the meal, updating her on Kevin’s activities during her trip.  

“Overall, he’s been remarkably calm. Still obsessing over water. He spent most of today drawing pictures of the beach.” Janis pointed to the refrigerator, which held several charcoal drawings. The largest showed a sand castle, with three suns in the sky over it. Allison stared, wondering again about her son, his amazing insights and oblique ways of communicating.   

He didn’t speak to her that night, but when she went into her own bedroom, there was a model of a water molecule placed precisely in the middle of her bed.


	8. In Which Allison Gives A Brief But Effective Management Seminar

The doorbell rang at exactly half past nine. Nathan held a bottle of her favorite merlot, and was wearing a green shirt that matched the color of his eyes. He brushed her cheek with a kiss.  

She took the bottle. “Thank you! Sit down, I’ll just grab a corkscrew.” When she returned from the kitchen, Nathan had picked up Kevin’s water molecule from the coffee table and was turning it over in his hands.   “How’s Kevin?” he asked. “Still building molecules, I see.”   

“He’s good. He loves that molecule kit. I’d been meaning to thank you for that.” She sat across from him, and busied herself with opening and pouring the wine. “His newest thing seems to be water. The other day I came home to find the floor littered with H2O models.” She handed him a glass, letting his fingers brush against hers, then leaned back in her chair.  

“So, what shall we drink to?” he asked. “How about—” His suggestion was cut off by the doorbell, and he scowled.   

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right back,” she said, rising to answer it.  

It was always nice to see Jack in something other than his uniform, and Allison let her eyes travel down from the triangle where three buttons were open at the neck of his soft black shirt, to the perfect fit of his worn jeans. When she met his eyes again, he had that adorable flustered look.   

She stepped aside and waved him in. The look on Nathan’s face when he saw who it was had Allison wishing for a camera, if not another of Clarkson’s bugs. Jack stopped in his tracks.   

“I’m sorry, I didn’t…I thought…look, maybe I better go. Another night, hey?” he stuttered.  

“No, no. Come on in, Jack. You don’t mind, do you Nathan?” Allison was frankly enjoying the awkward moment. After all, they had been sleeping with other people while pursuing her. A little payback was not uncalled for.  

The men exchanged cautious nods as Allison gestured at the couch, where Nathan was sitting up, a little stiff. She smiled broadly. “I just thought it might be good for the three of us to get together and talk. Jack, would you like a beer, or some wine?”   

“Um, beer’s fine.” She’d stocked a six-pack of a good microbrew. Neither man spoke as she headed for the kitchen, and despite the swing she put in her hips as she returned, both faces were uneasy. Allison leaned over to pour the beer into a tall glass, offering them a glance of cleavage in her wraparound dress, and sat back. “I read an interesting article on the way back from Washington,” she started. “Left the magazine on the plane, but it got me thinking.”  

“About what?” Jack said, sipping his beer speculatively.   

“Teamwork,” she answered. “In any organization, there are a couple of key people, and if they can’t work together smoothly, the organization suffers. So it’s important to identify these people, and make sure they, well…mesh.”   

Jack shifted nervously in his seat, but Nathan just raised an eyebrow. “What’s your point, Allie?” he asked.   

“Take Eureka, for example,” Allison said. “The town and GD are so closely aligned that it makes sense to think of them as a single entity. Which means the key people would be,” she waved a hand at each man, “the two of you.” She brought her hands together and interwove the fingers. “So the key people need to fit each other, if you see what I mean.”   

“I didn’t realize you’d asked us over for a management seminar,” Nathan said wryly. Allison smirked.   

“Just let me go on a little longer,” she said. “I haven’t gotten to the interesting part yet.” The two men exchanged another glance.   She leaned forward, reaching for her wineglass. “Of course since the DoD is such a factor in GD operations, there really are three key people in this scenario, me being the third.” Most of Jack’s beer was gone, she noticed. “So while I believe I can work well with each of you, it would be helpful to get a sense of how you two work together. How you, you know—mesh.” She held her wine in one hand, the other absently stroking up and down the goblet’s stem. “Jack?”  

“Well, as far as…I mean, in emergencies, dealing with emergencies…we’ve done some teamwork. Worked as a team.” Jack’s ears were pink, but he was otherwise managing an admirable poker face. He turned to the other man. “Of course, since GD tends to be the cause of most of the emergencies...” Nathan snorted.   

“As Allison knows, science has its risks.” He turned his blandest face to her.   

“You do take risks, Nathan.” She smiled, sharklike. “But I have to say, your professional relationship with Carter does seem to be improving. Maybe since you’re getting along better outside of work….” Neither man seemed to know what to say, and Nathan’s bland stare was developing a deer-in-the-headlights glaze. Jack was staring at his knees.

 _This is just too much fun,_ Allison thought. “What I’d like to see is all three of us,” she paused to sip some wine, “working as a team. Together.”  

“All three of us,” Jack repeated slowly. “Do you mind if I get myself another beer?” He sprang up and headed for the kitchen almost before she waved her hand. Nathan gave her one of his lazy smiles, but he knew him well enough to read worry in the lines around his eyes. She smiled back.  

Jack settled on the couch again, and the two men shifted, carefully not touching. There was a moment of awkward silence. Now, she thought.  

“What I find interesting is that your teamwork has actually improved since you’ve been sleeping together,” she said. “How long has that been going on?”   

Jack coughed, barely managing to avoid spraying beer across the room. “Sleeping together?” he blurted.  

“What are you talking about?” said Nathan at the same moment, narrowing his eyes.  

“Relax,” Allison grinned. “Jack, breathe, okay? Look, I’m not upset.”   

Nathan blinked, eyes wide. Jack was taking deep breaths, his face red.     
“In fact, the idea really makes me hot,” she said.   

“Gotta say, didn’t see that coming,” Jack muttered under his breath. He turned toward Nathan, who was slowly shaking his head.  

She continued softly, “I admit it was a surprise, but it actually clarified things for me. I realized I needed to reframe the problem, approach it from a different angle. I wasn’t looking at all the possible options.”  

“Teamwork,” Jack murmured, his eyes intent on her. Nathan studied her face, as if it was an equation he was on the verge of solving.  

“I can’t choose between you. But I don’t have to. I want you both, and you want each other.” Allison stood, watching the reactions cross their faces, Jack’s slow amazement, Nathan’s admiration.   

“Ally, you never cease to surprise me,” Nathan said with a chuckle. He shifted toward Jack, putting one hand on the other man’s thigh, and Jack’s hand came to meet it, though both sets of eyes were still fixed on her. She stood, pulling the tie on her wrap dress. It fell to the floor, revealing carefully-chosen cream-colored lingerie and smooth mocha skin.  

“I could say I didn’t want to come between you,” she said, smiling, “but that’s exactly what I’d like to do.” 


	9. In Which Allison is Not Alone in her Enjoyment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which this story earns its rating. :)

Alison moved from behind the coffee table to Jack’s end of the sofa. “Get up,” she said invitingly.  

“Already there,” he muttered as he stood. She pressed her body to Jack’s, feeling the hard length of muscle against her skin, the pulsing of his rapidly hardening erection pressing against her pelvis. Over his shoulder she smiled at Nathan before wrapping one hand around Jack’s neck and drawing him into a deep kiss. She beckoned with the other hand, and Nathan stood, joining the embrace, one hand on Jack’s ass, the other on Allison’s, close enough to feel their breaths. Alison broke the kiss, leaving Jack with glazed eyes that widened as she turned her head to her ex-husband and met his lips with her own. Jack’s hand wound around her body, reaching down, meeting his lover’s hand as it caressed Allison’s curves. Jack watched as the kiss grew more passionate, and all three were breathing faster when Allison and Nathan broke apart.  

She looked from one man’s face to another. Both were suffused with lust, Nathan’s eyes gleaming with satisfaction, Jack slightly shell-shocked. “You okay?” she whispered.   

“I’m…God, I want you both. So much.” His voice was low and ragged. “I’ve never…”  

“New territory for all of us,” Nathan’s deep tones broke in, a smile in his voice. He turned his head to kiss Jack, and a small noise escaped Allison as the kiss grew more forceful.   

“God, that’s hot,” she murmured. The two men broke apart to look at her and she smiled.

“You two have far too many clothes on.” She stepped back, teetering a bit on her heels.   

“Maybe we should take this upstairs,” suggested Nathan. Allison turned, putting a swing in her hips as she led the way to her bedroom.     

 

She lay back on her bed, watching as Nathan locked the door. “Now what?” asked Jack. “Tell me…tell us what you want.” He looked at Nathan and grinned suddenly. “We’re all yours tonight.”  

“Nathan, would you undress Jack for me? Slowly.” Jack licked his lips as Nathan aimed a lascivious smirk at him.   

“My pleasure.” Nathan moved behind the other man, placing his arms around him and pressing Jack’s arms to his sides. He ran his fingers up and down Jack’s chest, nuzzling at his ear, before he pulled Jack’s shirt gently from his jeans and began unbuttoning from the bottom up.

Allison watched, fascinated, as Jack shifted, moving his hips back to rub against Nathan. More muscled skin was revealed, Jack’s eyes closing as Nathan’s long fingers skimmed his torso and brushed lightly over his nipples. Leaving the shirt hanging open, Nathan leaned forward to nip at Jack’s neck, his hands moving to unbutton Jack’s jeans, reaching in to fondle him before he pushed jeans and boxers down the other man’s legs. Jack put a hand on Nathan’s shoulder for balance as he kicked off his shoes and pulled his feet free, his cock dark and stiff.     
“Very nice,” Allison said slowly. “Now, Nathan’s turn.” Jack turned to face Nathan, his hands trembling a little as he unbuttoned the other man’s shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. He placed both hands on Nathan’s hips to steady himself as he bent to flick a tongue over each stiff nipple. Nathan’s head fell back with a soft groan as Jack knelt before him, unzipping his pants and pulling them down over his hips, leaving his boxers tented by the outline of his erection. Jack helped Nathan out of his pants and shoes before moving his hands back up, caressing Nathan’s ass as he slid the boxers down, Nathan’s cock bobbing free in front of his face. He placed a small kiss on the tip before turning back to Allison, whose hand had moved downward, fingers outlining the damp crotch of her panties.  

“That what you had in mind?” he said huskily.  

“Oh, yeah,” she breathed. “So beautiful, both of you. Come here.” She reached out her arms and the two men joined her on the bed, one on either side. Nathan propped his head up on one elbow, and traced his fingers across her breast, while Jack pressed his erection into her hip and buried his face in her neck, breathing in the scent of her hair.  

“Jack,” said Nathan, “why don’t I show you what she likes?” Allison squirmed between them, knowing how well her ex-husband understood her body, her responses. “Kind of a guided tour.”  

“Lead on, replied Jack, lifting his head to meet Nathan’s smile with his own. Allison whimpered as Nathan moved toward the bottom of the bed, and Jack followed suit.  

“Her legs are very sensitive,” Nathan began, laying a tiny kiss on her ankle. Jack did the same, and soon Allison was awash in sensation as the two men nibbled, kissed and licked their way up her legs. Jack’s tongue swirled toward the inside of one thigh, while Nathan gently rubbed his beard against the other, and she strained upward as their two mouths met for a heated kiss over her pelvis. Jack nuzzled downward, but Nathan shook his head. “Not yet,” he said. “Let’s take this nice and slow. We owe her a little bit of teasing.”  

Allison wrapped her hand in Nathan’s hair and tugged as Jack replied, “True. After all, she’s been teasing us all week.” Nathan suddenly drove his tongue into a spot near her hipbone and Allison convulsed in an agonized laugh. “Ticklish spot?”  

“Very ticklish,” Nathan said. “You’ve got one on your side too. Suddenly Jack’s tongue quivered over her skin and Allison squirmed helplessly.   

“Nathan, you bastard!” she said. Jack let out a low chuckle, but stopped the tickling, and followed Nathan’s movements as he lay down at her side, one hand on her breast, circling the nipple through the thin layer of lace. “Oh, yeah, much better.” Their two hands moved on her, and she opened her eyes to see Jack watching her, a look almost like awe on his face. She pushed herself up on her elbows to kiss him, her tongue exploring. As she sucked in his lower lip, she heard a small gasp from Nathan, who was watching intently even as his hand slipped the lace down and cupped her breast, fondling gently, one thumb rubbing back and forth across her erect nipple. Jack broke the kiss, and looked over at Nathan, whose eyes were dark with desire.   

“Love watching you,” murmured the scientist. “So sexy.” Allison turned a smile to him and it was Jack’s turn to watch, as their kiss moved from something sweet and gentle to a fierce intensity. When he lifted his head from hers, Jack was breathless, and Allison was panting, her skin hot. Jack and Nathan were moving in an unconscious rhythm, hips shifting to rub their cocks against her sides. As their eyes met over her face, the tenderness she saw in the look that passed between them sent an intense jolt through her groin.   

“Roll over, Allie,” Nathan said softly. “We’re just getting started.” She complied wordlessly, almost overwhelmed by the intensity of what she’d put in motion. She closed her eyes, every nerve alert to the sensation of warm hands sweeping down her back, her bra clasp being released, one mouth laying a trail of gentle kisses and licks across her shoulder blades while another nipped at the back of her thigh, then sucked hard, a fierce blaze of sensation that made her cry out. Suddenly her panties were being pulled down her legs, and Nathan’s curls tickled over her ass, Carter’s head lying on her other cheek as they met in a kiss. Nathan took a deep breath. “You smell so good, Allison. So ready for us.” She moved her legs apart and a hand—Jack’s? yes—crept up to explore her wetness. Nathan joined in, and she squirmed and whimpered as a finger slipped inside of her, moving in rhythm with the one now sliding over her clit. Their motions were slow, gentle, exquisite torture, keeping her poised on the edge of orgasm, until she suddenly reached a crescendo of excitement, moaning wordlessly as her hips pushed against them. Nathan’s hand slipped out of her, trailing wetness up between her cheeks, as she lay limp between them.  

They were making the most delicious sounds, and she managed to roll herself over between them to see Nathan sucking her moisture from Jack’s fingers. Rapt, she pulled herself up to a sitting position and watched as Jack sat back on his haunches, balancing on one hand as he pulled the other from Nathan’s mouth to reach down and grab his stiff cock. “Easy,” Nathan muttered. “I’m so close….” Jack’s hand moved gently, stroking with his fingertips, and Nathan leaned his head back and groaned. Allison reached out to Jack, trailing her fingers down his torso before she reached his cock, then mimicking the slow, teasing moves he was using on Nathan, moving further down to fondle his balls. All three were covered with a light layer of sweat, skin gleaming in the low light.   

“You liked that,” Jack said to Allison. “You like watching us, too, don’t you.” She nodded, unable to speak, her eyes fixed on his face, dazed with arousal.  

“Jack,” Nathan said, his rumbling baritone rough with emotion. “You’ve never fucked Allison, have you?” Jack turned to him, shaking his head slowly. “I think you should.” Jack nodded, his half-lidded eyes looking from one to the other. “I want to see it.”

Allison lay back, opening her legs, and Jack moved to position himself between them, as Nathan sat up cross-legged. She reached out to take Nathan’s cock in her hand as Jack lowered his body to hers, bending to kiss her as he balanced his weight on his arms. With a soft groan, he slipped into her. Allison drew in a deep breath at the feeling of fullness and connection. Slowly, he began to move, his breath shallow, and she looked past his shoulder toward Nathan, who was smiling broadly.   

“God, the two of you together…this is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” he whispered. His hand ghosted over Jack’s back, coming to rest on his ass. Jack stilled at the touch, then began pumping faster, Allison’s hips matching his movements even as her hand stroked the same rhythm on Nathan’s cock. A pulse of heat spread through Allison’s body, expanding, a wave of sensation that she could feel building to another orgasm. Jack’s movements suddenly became more urgent, pumping faster and harder against her until his breathing was a series of staccato gasps, his face contorting as he came into her with a long, keening moan and collapsed into her. The look on his face and the sound of his voice brought her own orgasm to its peak. She felt herself surfing a crashing wave of sensation, and then floating in its wake, boneless and trembling.  

Jack, still breathing shallow and fast, lifted his weight from her, and the two turned as one to look at Nathan. His face was tense and somehow awestruck, his cock still rock-hard in Allison’s hand. “Wow,” he breathed.  

Jack and Allison traded glances, and Jack pushed himself up and slipped out of Allison in a single move, kneeling up between her legs and diving hungrily onto Nathan’s cock, grasping the other man’s hips for balance. Allison’s hand moved under Nathan to fondle and squeeze his balls, reaching back to stroke behind them with one finger. Nathan met her eyes as Jack’s head bobbed, licking and sucking, then threw his head back and came with a shout, Jack not lifting his head until he finished swallowing.  

Gradually, their breathing slowed, and slowly the three shifted into more comfortable positions, caresses and small kisses taking the place of words. Allison found herself spooned against Nathan, his body warm against her back, while Jack snuggled up to her other side, head tucked close to her breasts as she drifted off to sleep.


	10. In Which a Happy Ending is Only the Beginning

Allison woke a few hours later to the familiar rumble of Nathan snoring in her ear. She rolled over, nudging him, and realized that Jack was no longer in the bed. She slid out and pulled a light silk robe from her closet. Nathan, a heavy sleeper, didn’t notice when she unlocked the door and slipped quietly out of the room.  

She found Jack downstairs, sitting on the sofa. He was wearing only his pants, holding his cell phone loosely on his lap and staring into space thoughtfully. He looked up.  

“Oh, hey. Allison.” He held up the phone. “I just sent SARAH a text message, told her to let Zoe know something came up and I’m okay. She’s used to me getting home late, but she worries if I’m not there in the morning.”  

“Does that mean you’re coming back to bed?” Allison smiled, curling up against him. He was silent. “Hey, is everything okay?”  

Jack turned to her, his face serious. “Tonight—what we did—it was amazing. You’re amazing. I’m just….” There was only a little light filtering in through the curtains, and his shadowed face was less revealing than his voice.  

“I pushed you outside your comfort zone, didn’t I,” she said quietly.   

“No. Well, a little, but…we can talk about my personal history another time. It’s just that, it’ll be morning in a couple of hours, and I don’t know what’s going to happen. Was this just a one-night thing? Does this change anything?”  

Allison leaned her head on his shoulder. “I still can’t choose between you. I’m selfish enough to want it all, both of you, and I’m stubborn enough to think we can make it work.” She sighed, and his hand came up to stroke her hair. “I know it’s harder for you, with Zoe and all.”  

“Not to mention the town,” he replied. “I mean, how long can we keep this under wraps? The gossip around here is unbelievable.”   

“No kidding.” Allison had only hazily imagined a relationship that encompassed the three of them, and she began to realize she hadn’t quite thought everything through. “Well, maybe we shouldn’t wait for the gossip to catch up with us. You know, we wouldn’t be the only poly relationship in town. Sharon and Eric Johannson have been with Susan Wilkes for years, and nobody seems bothered by it. Once people get used to the idea…”  

He shrugged. “I suppose.” His hand traced its way down the side of her face and along her neck, slipping into her robe. “Do you think that’s what Nathan wants?”  

“I’ve known him a long time,” she said. “He’s never worried much about what people think of him, as long as he gets what he wants. And I know he wants us both.”   

“And Zoe says she just wants me to be happy.” Jack leaned forward to kiss her, and she reached around, pulling his head to hers, tasting his lips, exploring him with her tongue.   

“So do I, Jack.”   

“Me too,” came Nathan’s baritone from the staircase. He walked into the room, naked, and sat on Jack’s other side. “I want us all to be happy, and tonight we were. Spectacularly happy, if I’m not mistaken.”   

“Oh, yes,” murmured Jack, placing a hand on Nathan’s thigh. “No argument there.” Nathan turned his head and placed a kiss on Jack’s shoulder.   
   
“It’s going to be complicated, but I’d like to try,” Alison said. “After the past year—not to mention tonight—I don’t know if any of us can be happy without the other two.”   

“I think you’re right,” Jack admitted. “The idea of trying to make a go of it, the three of us—it’s scary. But the thought of going back to where we were yesterday is just too damn depressing.” He leaned his head back.   

“We can take things slow, Jack,” said Nathan. “I’m not about to announce this in Café Diem tomorrow morning. We’ll figure it out as we go along.”  

“Together,” Allison said.   

Nathan rose from the couch and stretched. Allison and Jack watched, both admiring the long, lean muscled form silhouetted against the curtain. “Let’s go back to bed,” he said. “I want to curl up with the two most beautiful people in town, and marvel at how lucky I am, and sleep.”   

“Anybody ever tell you you’re a genius?” asked Jack jokingly. Nathan took his hand and pulled him up into an embrace. They turned to Allison, each reaching out a hand, and drew her in.   

That night, between her lovers, Allison dreamed of a verdant jungle, rich and fragrant. She was climbing a steep trail, breathing in the humid air, hearing a roaring sound not far ahead. The trail curved, and she found herself at the edge of a pool. Above her, water crashed from a high cliff, and she continued her climb until she reached a ledge just behind the waterfall. Light shimmered through the liquid curtain, and when she reached into it, the water was warm, welcoming. She stepped through, realizing she wass naked, and let it wash over her, smooth and clear and vital. Looking down, she saw Nathan and Jack floating in the pool below, their bodies wet and gleaming in the sun, and without hesitation, she took one step forward to dive deep, and rose between them to the surface in a cloud of bubbles, laughing. 

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Livejournal. Comments feed the muse.


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